#also brent smith is truly an incredible vocalist

[tellmegoodbye]

hi!!

going off of what you recently said about being asked about music, I’m going to ask you about music! I love discovering new music so who are your top artists and your top songs?? either currently or all time

HI I'M SO HAPPY RIGHT NOW THANK YOUUU

Okayokayokay I'm calm I promise :)

My favorite band of all time is linkin park, and honestly they always will be. Now I'm sure everyone knows all of their popular songs, but I'm going to go ahead and recommend a criminally underrated album of theirs, which is A Thousand Suns.

Now even though LP is my favorite band they obviously have not been active since 2017, so I'm going to also talk about my favorite band that's still currently active, and my second favorite band of all time. Shinedown!

If you're wondering just how much I love this band, I am about to see them for the fourth time at the end of the month! They are honestly so good live so if you're into rock music and looking for a damn good concert experience, I highly recommend catching one of their shows!

I know the lone star (and og) fandom is at least somewhat aware of them because whoever chooses music for these shows does not know how to miss 😊 and the song they used in the second episode of lone star, how did you love, is one of my favorite songs by them. I literally got so excited when it started playing and started singing along. A very memorable moment for me while watching this show! (I also have a shinedown shirt with the lyrics "every day is do or die" on the back...I promise I am normal about this band 😂)

fun fact: if you've seen me lurking around on my main, leave-a-whisper, that is a reference to their first album! I also reccomend the Sound of Madness album. These two are their two best albums in my opinion!

there are so many bands I could mention so I'm just going to mention a few more quick ones so that this doesn't become an essay. I also have last.fm if you want to take a look any bands I don't mention here, cause there's a lot!

Speed run under the cut! Trying to keep this at a reasonable length here 😂

Three Days Grace and Breaking Benjamin, I grew up listening to these bands! middle school harley practically lived and breathed one-x and phobia.

Halestorm, one of my favorite bands with a female lead. Lzzy's vocals are fucking insane and the music is extremely fun and empowering.

Speaking of amazing female leads, if you're looking for some metal (or just curious about getting into the genre) I really love Jinjer. They are insane live and Tati is a phenomenal vocalist.

I also dabble in prog music. I pretty much grew up listening to bands like Dream Theater and Porcupine Tree. Insane talent in both of these bands. One album I really love and reccomend is Deadwing by Porcupine Tree.

O.A.R, my childhood. My parents introduced me to this band when I was very young and I have loved their music ever since. I can't really compare them to anyone else, but I reccomend listening to songs like heaven and love and memories. Those are a couple of my faves!

I don't really listen to much rap music, but NF is a massive exception. His lyrics are always amazing and the music is just really fun, sometimes really angsty.

Bad Omens, Dayseeker and I Prevail are some good metal bands to get into if it's usually not a genre you'd enjoy. Amazing vocals.

Album recs!

I have been listening to To Be Everywhere is To Be Nowhere by Thrice. It's an amazing album. My favorite song off of it is Hurricane.

My favorite album that came out last year is Spirits by Nothing More.

My favorite albums that came out this year are Take Me Back To Eden by Sleep Token and Dead Club City by Nothing But Thieves.

Finally, some song recs!!!

Atlantic - Sleep Token

Satellites - Periphery

Higher Place - Malevolence

Familiar Taste of Poison - Halestorm

Mourning Song - Holding Absence

The Red - Chevelle

Tears Don't Fall - Bullet For My Valentine

Breaking My Bones - Friday Pilots Club

Be Quiet And Drive (Far Away) - Deftones

Dying is Absolutely Safe - Architects

One More Light - Linkin Park

Death By Rock And Roll - The Pretty Reckless

I could mention sooooo much more but this is definitely enough for now. As you can see my music taste is very rock and metal heavy and I know that's not everyone's thing, but if you're unsure then definitely give some of these bands a try!

#I've peaked at the setlist for shinedown's show and it seems theh wont be plahing how did you love #but if they do...I will definitely get it on video for y'all #I can also do specific song recs for shinedown because they have so many amazing songs that it would have to be a separate post #also brent smith is truly an incredible vocalist #the things he did with simple man are just so creative and made it so much better than the original #asks #harley talks music

[busstophustle-blog]

Favorites: Songs & Albums of 2017

FAVORITE SONGS

Jorja Smith and Preditah – On My Mind

It should be somewhat established that I love UK garage and tend to celebrate any quality tune that carries the style’s polyrhythms, driving tempo and yearning R&B vocal sensibility. Great garage tunes have an anthemic quality to them, and “On My Mind” is no different. When Jorja hits the chorus, this song just jumps to a higher gear: “I finally found what went wrong,” she belts, leaving listeners longing for closure until she finishes the thought with a bittersweet tang: “I finally found the wrong in you.” It’s a break-up anthem that urges you to move to the beat of independence and dance away the pain.

Big K.R.I.T. – Get Away

I was hooked from the hook: “I gotta get away from that bullshit that they on.” Maybe this song resonated with me instantly because I operate best when I have a chip on my shoulder, and it seems that KRIT does too.

Up until 4eva is a Mighty Long Time, I found it hard trying to make a case for KRIT as one of the greats of this era because I struggled to point to a project that shined from start to finish. Thankfully, with his latest album, he’s cemented the best work yet to justify why he deserves far more recognition alongside contemporaries like Kendrick Lamar and J. Cole for what he’s accomplished over the years.

KRIT approaches hip-hop with a soulful touch often missing from today’s sonic landscape. In the case of “Get Away,” KRIT builds around Bettye Crutcher’s “Sleepy People,” building a mood around her lyric “we’re forced to ride around on a merry go round.” Just like with “Country Shit” or “Sookie Now” before it, “Get Away” immediately drops you into his booming thinking man’s music. This is KRIT’s victory lap at the end of a stellar disc one, placing material braggadocio alongside spiritual closeness – verse two boasts “pull up, woofers still quaking, let it be known that I made it” along with “Boobie Miles under lights hater, this God given.”

This is the other song that never feels like it’s long enough. There have been a few times this year where I’ve ridden home listening to this song on repeat all the way to the gate. For me, there’s something undeniably touching in this song.

Reva DeVito – After Tonight (B. Bravo Rework)

Hands down, this is the song on this list most likely to get me on the dance floor. This re-work is actually a remix of sorts from B. Bravo, the other half of DeVito’s group Umii, which updates “Rose Gold” from her The Move EP by swapping bright keys in place of a heavy break beat. Reva’s output can often work from a place of soft, lightly illuminated seduction; however, B. Bravo’s re-work adds a breezy quality that made this a summer tune I continued to revisit through the warmer months of 2017.

It has all the things I love about Reva DeVito: a singalong quality to the melodies, a laid-back delivery with stacked harmonies, a joyful instrumental. She’s not the type of artist that blows you away on first listen, but there’s a je ne said quoi that makes her songs worth repeat listens. 

Goldlink – Crew (feat. Brent Faiyaz & Shy Glizzy)

It’s the mood. Goldlink has a distinctive delivery ever since he first hit the scene rapping over house beats and I gained recognition of his name by way of Soulection. Everything comes together on this song. Think of how well this beat pairs three completely different lyrical approaches – Brent Faiyaz’s star-making hook, Goldlink’s signature freneticism tailored to seductive double-time sultriness, and Shy Glizzy’s gangster closing, complete with “ain’t nothing wrong with fake asses.”

“Don’t act like I’m your man, you just a fan,” counters Faiyaz in a compellingly effective, completely dismissive tone. Every time I watch this clip, I wish I were as cool as those two.  

Mahalia – Sober

I ran across this song thanks to a Berlin-based YouTube music channel COLORS. Part live performance and part fashion show, each clip typically presents a musician or band performing in front of a colored green screen, often providing a hue complementing their stylish wardrobe.

In Mahalia’s case, her performance of “Sober” paired her red head-to-toe – bandana, one-piece romper with pleated pants, puffer jacket, Puma suedes – with a soft blue background.

“What ever happened to the time that we spent sober?” she asks before jumping into the second chorus. An extended take on the reasons love came to an end, Mahalia delivers a clearly enunciated performance that perfectly sits in the pocket of the beat.

Demi Lovato – Sorry Not Sorry

I’ll come clean – I was a Demi Lovato hater before this song. But my roommates can also tell you that I made them sit through the entirety of her YouTube documentary when I was under the spell of this song.

For a singer worth as much potential money to management and labels as Demi Lovato, there’s no fucking way “Sorry Not Sorry” was some midnight miracle, an instance of catching lightning in a bottle. I’d bet this was written by committee, demoed by a highly competent vocalist then methodically taught to Demi. But even with those mechanisms in mind, I still can appreciate a really well crafted song from time to time. Plus I’m always a sucker for gospel keys, which is probably why Logic’s “Black Spiderman” floored me too.

Jessie Ware – Midnight (Goldie Epic Remix)

Let me start by saying I love the original version of “Midnight.” I’d say it’s arguably the best written pop single Jessie Ware has ever released. Yes, “Say You Love Me” is best known, but I’ve always felt that was a song that was chasing a hit more than something that truly captured Ware’s artistic sensibility.

With that point in mind, here’s why I prefer Goldie’s glorious remix: “Midnight” plays by pop convention then finishes; Goldie’s remix builds and builds and builds, elevating Ware’s chorus to something more driving and immediate.

Electronic music doesn’t tend to make tracks that are seven and a half minutes long any more, yet Goldie created a song deserving of every second of its run time. He revisits his original theme for five minutes before turning the song on its head and taking a dark turn. Listening to her talk about the remix with Mista Jam, she mentioned the collaboration like it was a dream come true.

“I basically wanted to be a dance vocalist – that’s how I started,” she shares. “My husband and I fell in love over jungle, so why not get Goldie to make you feel like you’re on a jungle track, and feel like Jenna G? Why not?”

David Dallas – R U (feat. Lukan Raisey, KidSeb, and Trey Bond)

I’m a lifetime David Dallas fan. I crossed over after listening to his Rose Tint album a few too many times, and have eagerly anticipated subsequent releases ever since. He remains one of my favorite rappers, because he’s clearly a student of the game and has no problem putting his life on wax rather than chasing lyrical trends.

Hood Country Club, his first album in four years, is darker and more politically charged than his previous output, but “R U” is a posse cut of sorts that slows things down. Posing a basic question -- are you down? -- Dallas and his guests revisit a topic known well in hip-hop thanks to anthems like 50 Cent’s “21 Questions” -- will fans and family still ride with them through thick and thin?

Unlike some of his contemporaries, David Dallas has never struggled to seem genuine when getting introspective -- how many other rappers could pull off a musical accomplishment as tender as “Spend a Lifetime”?

DKVPZ – Bonde de Neo Soul

DKVPZ’s Soulection White Label EP is one of the strongest in the LA collective’s freEP series, which now covers over 20 sets.

The playful plinks of keys serve as stabilizers, maintaining harmonic focus against the incessant momentum of the track’s drums. Sango’s distinct production output helped introduce me to baile funk’s sound. This duo comes straight from Brazil, showcasing just how universal the “sound of tomorrow” has come to be.

Joyce Wrice – Good Morning (Swarvy Redeux)

I think it’s those lazy keys that do it for me. They float from one chord to the next, yet they never get too out of pace thanks to the simple, grounded bassline.

The original  version plays directly into that throwback nostalgia younger millennials are eating up right now. The Swarvy Redeux helps strip things back a bit, which brings forth the lyrics more.

A friend of mine says I have an alter ego, who I’ve named baeisha. Baeisha likes music like this, those R&B tales of longing. I guess it fits a part of my persona. I love that idea of being swept off my feet.

FAVORITE ALBUMS 

Big K.R.I.T. – 4eva is a Mighty Long Time

This one was a long time coming from Meridian, Mississippi’s young Krizzle. 

To get you caught up: Big KRIT first made waves in 2011 with his acclaimed mixtape KRIT Wuz Here. Ever since, critics and fans alike have claimed he’s this generation’s torchbearer for the countrified, Third Coast sound of southern rap often best personified by the output of Outkast and UGK. Following a series of acclaimed mixtapes, he was signed to Def Jam, releasing Live from the Underground (2012) and Cadillactica (2014). Both albums received some critical praise, but the numbers never quite followed. It seemed KRIT was destined to be an also-ran, a major label cautionary tale. He left Def Jam mid 2016, and 4eva is a Mighty Long Time is his first full-length since that departure.

It’s a gargantuan return, and the most consistent release of his career thus far. 4eva’s 22 songs can seem like a lot to take in, but thankfully he’s split his material across two 11 song sets, labeled “Big KRIT” and “Justin Scott.” Side one is that candy paint riding music, full of charisma and trunk-rattling beats. Disc 2 is intended to drop the KRIT artifice, and features some incredibly vulnerable bars.

Still hungry. Still striving. Still Krizzle. My favorite album of the year.

Jaimie Branch – Fly or Die

“I’ve never been very good at playing what I’m supposed to play. I’ve never been very good at doing what I’m supposed ot do or saying what I’m supposed to say. I can only do what I’feel at that moment”

Thanks to JazzTimes for this one. Their profile mentioned a new free jazz trumpeter making waves out in Brooklyn, and as I read on I came across a photo of a trumpeter on the bandstand rocking a cocked fitted and a White Sox jersey. From there, I found Fly or Die’s EPK on YouTube. I’d ordered the album on vinyl before bed that night.

Fly or Die does mark Branch’s recorded debut as a leader, but that fact can be a bit of a misnomer. She’s been gigging for a decade, and recently moved from her native Chicago out to New York. Despite her new scenery, this album is Chicago through and through, featuring players she met in the city’s avant jazz scene.  Her quartet shakes up traditional instrumentation, with her group calling for trumpet, cello, bass and drums. Special appearances include a guitarist and two cornet players.

There’s a raw feeling to this album that had me listening on repeat for close to a week. Maybe it’s the fact that jazz carries this academic sheen nowadays, but I’ve never been much of a fan of how clean much of today’s jazz sounds. Yes – great engineers and recording techniques will want a clean, separated experience – it showcases the depth of compassion for the material – luscious recordings show mastery of the craft and techniques to capture it – yadda yadda. For instance, the drums on here carry a rugged quality I wish I heard more often on jazz recordings.

I’ve been drawn not only to the musicianship of jazz but the brazen attitude inherent in its practice. There’s something quite bold about studying a tradition for years to throw that all away and create in the moment. I was reminded of jazz being a transgressive act as I listened through to Fly or Die, and it made me hope this record was a signal of things to come for the scene.

Nicole Atkins – Goodnight Rhonda Lee

Like Lila Downes’ Make America America Again before it, I was drawn to this album because I spend way too much time on the Allmusic site. This cover caught my attention when it was highlighted as editor’s pick, so I took a listen and was intrigued enough to tab the album for a few months until I finally picked it up on CD.

Nicole Atkins’ voice has a vocal power that often lies dormant, but in songs like “Listen Up��� and “Sleepwalking,” that force pops out with surprising emotion. I’d say her voice at times is akin to Carole King, and this album certainly honors the warm AM radio / singer-songwriter tunes that dominated the 70s.

Mac Ayres – Drive Slow

Have you ever been absolutely entranced by an album, found something you can’t quite explain but it kept you hitting replay when you got to the end of the album because it just felt too soon to say goodbye? Maybe it was me feeling a need to get away from the Bay for a bit, and relishing the chance to be trapped on a bus with strangers in close proximity, that made me so open to something new. Maybe it was how easily digestible this whole project is, blue-eyed soul melded with that Dilla-esque woozy boom bap.

When I stopped into the Last Bookstore in LA, I was at a loss for what to pick up until  I took a look at the staff picks on my way out, and saw a book with a cover that was drawn to look like a mixtape. It was Stuff I’ve Been Feeling Lately, a poetry book by Alicia Cook. I read the dedication, which was for anyone who’s ever loved someone struggling with addiction, closed the book, and headed for the counter.  I’d found what I was looking for.

As we headed back up I-5 on the Megabus, I bought an overpriced pen at a truck stop along with some unhealthy snacks I so adore on road trips. With my chore coat on, I had space for everything in those numerous, deep pockets – beef jerky, soda, chips, sour candy, pen, notebook, MP3 player, poetry book. I’d read some, then write a bit, then read more.

Something about Cook’s words and Ayres’ songs touched me in a way I’ll never forget. She sparked the inspiration to tell of it all – to speak on the pain, the indecision, the awkwardness, the great joy and inspiration, and the subsequent loneliness of what it meant to be me at that moment in time. Drive Slow provided a warm pool to float in those thoughts void of judgment. I played the album sequentially, then shuffled it, repeating the process until we got back to the Bay. 

I guess in that sense, this pick has more to do with what this album meant to me this year than the supposed “merits” of its songcraft, etc. But I’ve been over that line of thinking. Often, our taste defies logic -- as it should -- and that’s precisely why music is so beautiful.

Yussef Kamaal – Black Focus

I really enjoy what’s been happening with jazz overseas, particularly the brand of jazz that’s often co-signed by Jazz Re:freshed and EZH Magazine (formerly Jazz Standard). Out of that new crop flew Yussef Kamaal, who, after only one album, may already be done, at least in their original formation.

Like with Fly or Die, Black Focus sported a jazz outline but felt like a fresh take on an idiom that sometimes loves to idolize its greats a bit too much. Jazz isn’t a time capsule, though some fans treat it like nothing that existed past the inception of jazz fusion is worth any merit; it’s an ever-evolving art form that often incorporates elements of other musical traditions into its framework to play with a different set of building blocks. The interplay of these two is seamless, which is one way jazz can really shine. It’s a pleasure to hear musicians locked in, whether it’s live or on record.